2023 Toyota 4Runner Hit With Recall Over Minor Noncompliance

Internally referred to as N280, the fifth-gen 4Runner was launched in September 2009 for the 2010 model year at the State Fair of Texas. Proudly assembled in Japan, the body-on-frame utility vehicle features FJ Cruiser underpinnings. In other words, the 4Runner is closely related to the N300 Tacoma and the Land Cruiser Prado 150 series.

Facelifted in 2013 for the 2014 model year, the 4Runner is pretty antiquated under the skin. That, however, isn’t a bad thing because all the hardware has been proven extremely reliable over the years. The Japanese manufacturer also had plenty of time to iron out any software- and quality-related concerns, making the 4Runner the most dependable body-on-frame utility vehicle that money can buy in this day and age in the United States of America.

Be that as it may, errors can still occur despite Toyota’s best efforts. Recall number 23V-680 wasn’t issued by the manufacturer, though. As per documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the peeps at Southeast Toyota Distributors are calling back 13 examples of the 2023 model year 4Runner due to load carrying capacity modification labels with incorrect values.

How incorrect? Under federal motor vehicle safety standard number 110, said label has to be accurate to 1 percent of the actual net weight added to a given vehicle. As the headline implies, it’s a minor noncompliance that shouldn’t be of much concern to affected owners. The owners in question will be informed via first-class mail no later than December 4. The envelopes will further contain the updated modification labels, meaning that said owners don’t need to head back to their dealers for the remedy.

SET discovered this condition during a routine audit in September 2023. More specifically, the distributor found that the wrong factory wheel and tire weight was used. This, in turn, caused the actual net accessory weight to be underreported by two pounds. In metric, that would be 0.9 kilograms.

The vehicles included in this recall were produced in the period between August 15, 2023 and September 25, 2023. As mentioned earlier, the 4Runner comes from Japan exclusively. The Land Cruiser Prado J250 is made in the Land of the Rising Sun as well. The technically similar Tacoma comes from Mexico, whereas the full-size Tundra and Sequoia are made in the Lone Star State.

Turning our attention back to the recall, Southeast Toyota Distributors failed to reference which specific trim levels or packages are included in this recall. As of October 2023, the 2023 model year 4Runner is still listed by the build & price tool in eight flavors (SR5, TRD Sport, SR5 Premium, TRD Off-Road, TRD Off-Road Premium, 40th Anniversary Special Edition, Limited, TRD Pro).

Earlier this month, Toyota revealed the 2024 model with little in the way of changes. But come 2024 for 2025, the 4Runner will receive a much-needed redesign with TNGA-F underpinnings from the 250-series Land Cruiser Prado and the 2024 model year Tacoma.